Sayacmarca, Archaeological site along Inca Trail, Cusco Region, Peru

Sayacmarca is an archaeological site on a summit at 3,600 metres in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District. It is divided into a ceremonial part and a residential part, and has a gateway with a staircase plus an irrigation system of canals that supplied water to the houses.

Hiram Bingham III reached Sayacmarca in April 1915 during his expeditions and recorded it as Cedrobamba, meaning cedar plain. The site was later renamed Sayacmarca, the Quechua designation now in use. The sources give no date for that change.

The Quechua name Sayacmarca is commonly rendered as "town that cannot be reached," a reference to the site's position on a summit at 3,600 metres. Hiram Bingham III, who reached it in April 1915, instead called it Cedrobamba, "cedar plain." The later name reflects the Quechua designation rather than his label.

Access to Sayacmarca is only possible during the four-day Inca Trail trek, with the site typically reached on day two after crossing the Warmiwañusca pass. Visitors should be in good physical condition before arriving, as the elevation and steep terrain demand careful footing.

Sayacmarca sits on a summit at 3,600 metres and is split into a ceremonial sector and a residential one. A gateway and stairway lead into the site, and irrigation channels fed by canals supplied water to the houses. Hiram Bingham III reached it in April 1915 and called it Cedrobamba, "cedar plain".